


One Night Stand.

by readwriteandavengers



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-31
Updated: 2013-08-31
Packaged: 2017-12-25 05:21:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/949086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/readwriteandavengers/pseuds/readwriteandavengers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Raleigh Becket gets himself stuck in a hole when he starts to get feelings for the man he almost fought in an organic grocery store.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Night Stand.

Raleigh tilts his head from side to side, satisfied at the crack that echoes in the quiet kitchen. He rubs at his eyes, trying to rid himself of tiredness. He yawns, stretching his arms out at his sides as a part of his routine to wake up. He scratched at his bare chest before giving the others in the room a glance.

"You know," Hermann starts, his newspaper open wide in front of him, "cracking your neck like that will cause problems further down the road."

Raleigh chuckles, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the man. "Yeah, but then again I don't often think about the future."

Hermann, unlike Raleigh, rolls his eyes. He doesn't respond, focusing closer on an article.

Newt comes in from his bedroom, dressed in nothing but his boxers and glasses. Raleigh notices Hermann's eyes trail down the man's body before his cheeks tint red and he turns back to his newspaper. Newt doesn't notice, rubbing at his eyes as he sits next to Raleigh. "Uh, breakfast?"

Raleigh checks his watch with a smirk on his face. "Diner down the street?" Both Raleigh and Newt glance at Hermann as the words leave Raleigh's mouth. Slowly, the man starts to crack, his expression turning to amused and angry.

With a half-hearted groan, Hermann stands to his feet, moving to the stove. His shirt, too big for his frail form, hangs off one shoulder. He looks so comfortable and proper, standing in front of the fridge in his pajamas. He's retreiving eggs, bread, butter, and some sort of a substitue for meat, due to his vegetarian streak. Next, he's grabbing for pans.

Raleigh turns towards Newt with a look of victory on his face. He's expecting a high-five at their work but is not surprised to see Newt's eyes straying on Hermann. He chuckles to himself, looking down at his combined hands awkwardly. He'd rather not interrupt a moment of their... whatever it is. At first, Raleigh had thought that the two scientists moving in as roommates would have been a disaster, but the more he comes to spend the night, it's clear it is so much better than that.

"So, Newt, thinking about getting any new tattoos?" Raleigh's hand lifts to poke teasingly at Newt's ink-covered skin. His eyes narrow as he searches for a clear spot in earnest. "There's plenty of space to put one..."

Newt chuckles dryly, grimacing at Raleigh. "You're so funny."

Raleigh's eyes light up with amusement, unable to stop himself. "I know, I'm a hoot."

Newt's chair scooches closer as he leans in to whisper. "I've noticed you've been... free lately. If you know what I mean..." Newt gives Raleigh a pointed look when he pulls back, his lip stuck in between his teeth.

Raleigh shakes his head slowly, clearly confused. "No, I have no idea what you mean."

Newt sighs, putting his forehead in his hand. He looks to his right, away from Raleigh to keep this from getting awkward. "Action wise... you've been _unrestrained_. "

Raleigh's mouth falls open, his lips mimicing the word. He still looks lost, staring at Newt's profile. "Unrestrained?"

"Jesus, Raleigh. Not sure why Newt is so interested but what the man is trying to say is that you haven't been 'getting any.'" Hermann's quick to chime in as he cracked some eggs. He lifts his yoke covered fingers to put air quotes around a few words.

Heat rises in Raleigh's cheeks against his better judgement, his head turning so fast to look at Newt that it physcially hurts. "Wh-what? You mean-you're talking about my-this is about sex?" He's whispering and he doesn't know why. It's only the three of them.

Newt lets out a lone giggle, unable to help himself. He's a child at heart, forever laughing at inappropriate words. "I'm just trying to help you out. Sure seems like you could use a new gal in your life... or, y'know, guy."

Raleigh's face turns a darker shade of red and he wishes he could run away from this conversation. It was like having the talk about the birds and the bees with his parents. "Thanks, Newt. I appreciate it. I think. But whoever you have in mind could do much better than me-"

"If you're worried that Newt has found some not-so-attractive person, trust me when I say this, they're very attractive-"

Hermann's cut off by an offronted noise from Newt. Raleigh tries to ignore it, knowing exactly why Newt was offended that the man called someone else attractive.

"Not that looks matter. I know you're not shallow, Raleigh. Giving this one a chance might be in your favor." Hermann turns around to plate a couple of eggs before grabbing two pieces of toast. He tries to make the food look nice, presentable, but Raleigh and Newt are on their feet. The two men are grabbing for breakfast, even though Hermann is slapping their grabby hands. They walk away with their food, moaning and groaning at Hermann's cooking.

"Hermann, delicious as always." Raleigh comments, scooping some eggs onto his toast.

Newt hums in agreement, mouth too full to say anything.

-

Raleigh's clothed, dressed nice and proper like Newt ordered. He walks out of his room, hand behind his head as he tucks the tag back under his sweater when he hears clapping. Newt and Hermann are both dressed too casual, Raleigh would say, but he doesn't comment. He takes the praise gratefully, adding a sarcastic bow.

"Alright, you cocky son of a bitch, ready to go out?" Newt's opening the door, ushering everyone outside the apartment regardless of the answer.

-

Newt and Hermann drag him to their local, organic grocery store, much to Raleigh's displeasure. He never was one to think too much about what he eats. If it tastes good, he'll eat it. With his shoulders slumped, he follows the bickering couple in past the sliding doors. He looks like a petulant child, he knows this, but that doesn't lift him up enough to stop. He wants to cross his arms bu the knows that'll be too far. Hell, he's twenty-six, not five. So instead he shoves them deep into his pockets, pulling at the loose string.

They're about to go down an aisle surrounded around sauces. Raleigh takes a deep breath, convincing himself he can make it through this torture, but once Newt and Hermann start arguing about sauces, he's out. He ducks past them, spinning to his left to rest his back against a row of candies. Their chattering slowly becomes quieter. His heart quickens ridiculously as he leans over to look down the aisle to make sure they didn't notice he had left. His eyes land on their backs, still caught up in their own world to know their blonde friend went missing.

He's grinning to himself, now entertained at their wild hand gestures when someone taps him on the shoulder.

His mouth is opened, about to let out a screech when he sees Mako. "Christ, Mako. Didn't think I'd see you here."

Mako grins at him, proud of herself for sneaking up on her friend. She does a respectful bow before speaking. "I'm spending some time with Stacker-"

"Shit, Stacker's here? I better head out-"

Raleigh's turning around, about to flee the scene. He'd apologize to Mako later for his rudeness but he and Stacker never were good aquintances. Before he can take another step, he bumps into a redheaded man coming out of the sauce aisle. His expression immediately turns angry, his hands turning into fists. He's all but fuming when he turns to face Raleigh head on. Raleigh almsot wants to laugh but holds it in, knowing that won't help his situation.

"I'm so sorry-" Raleigh starts but the bitter man cuts him off.

"You better damn well be." He comes closer, definitely crossing a personal space boundry.

Raleigh takes a step back, clearly amused at this point. A fight would end interestingly between him and this other man. "I don't want any trouble."

"Chuck, take a step back. It was an accident."

An older man lays a hand on the redheads shoulder. It doesn't take long for Raleigh to figure out that it's the man's father, looking at his son in disappointment. "Apologize to the man and we'll be on our way."

The corner of Raleigh's mouth quirked up at the fact that this man was being forced to apologize. One of his hands come up to cover his mouth, hiding the clear amusement. He didn't want the man to feel like he was teasing him.

The man, Chuck, got angrier. Raleigh, having been in his position, could tell he hated that he was being treated like a child. But Raleigh also realized he had been acting like a child, much like this man in front of him.  Grudgingly, Chuck held out his hand. He waited patiently for Raleigh to take it before beginning his apology. "I'm sorry for snapping at you." He started, giving Raleigh a small squeeze.

Raleigh nodded, the smile still on his lips. "Apology accepted. I'm terribly sorry for running into you."

Chuck purses his lips, giving Raleigh a small nod before rushing off in the opposite direction. The man's father comes forward, shaking Raleigh's hand. "I'm really sorry. He's a bit of a hot head. Have a good day." With a curt nod, the man turns his cart around and walks towards the next aisle.

Raleigh, with shock written on his face, turns to Mako. "What the hell just happened?"

Mako has a similar expression on her face, a bit more amusement. "Not sure. That was odd."

Raleigh chuckles, arms wrapping around his torso. "You're tellin' me. So where's grumpy Stacker at? I'll need to know so I can avoid him-"

"Right here, Becket. I suggest you turn around." Stacker doesn't have to say anymore, the threat carrying through Raleigh's form. He's ducking around the corner and gladly follows after Newt and Hermann, who still don't realize he'd ever left.

-

Raleigh has the last few plastic bags in his hands, carrying them up the steps to the apartment. His arms are starting to shake with the weight, knowing he grabbed too many. He pushes on, only hoping that one of the bags don't rip. He makes it in past the door and makes it to the living room just in time. Groaning, he lets the bags slide from his arms.

"Anything else you two need before I leave?" Raleigh asks, rubbing at his burning biceps.

The two glance at each other, pursing their lips and shaking their heads. "No." They say in unison. Raleigh's eyes widen at the odd moment but doesn't comment, since neither of the men notice.

"All right, thanks for breakfast, Hermann. See you soon."

The two wave their goodbyes, mumbling a few things that Raleigh doesn't bother deciphering. He shuts their door behind him, walking smoothly down the steps and slipping out the entrance. He's headed to the left when he notices the steady pitter patter of rain against the sidewalk. Sighing, he puts his hand out in front of him, letting rain drops graze his hand and pool in his palm. He pulls the sleeves of his sweater down before taking a deep breath. He pushes himself out in the rain, squinting through the downpour. He only has about two miles to go.

He's rushing past the walking people with umbrellas, envious of their choice to lug it along with them. He considers taking a taxi but decides against it, knowing that it's free to just run home and get a semi-warm shower.

He's barely a mile in when he reaches a crosswalk, which is not allowing anyone to walk. He tries to duck his head, although he doesn't know why because the rain only slides down his neck and under his sweater to run uncomfortably down his spine. He jumps in his boots, trying to keep his energy up at the pause. Glancing left and right, he tries to think if it's worth weaving in between the cars but knows he'd rather keep his life.

He's biting his lip, leaning out further to check when the cars will end when he recognizes the person to his right. He grins, forgetting his situation. "Hey, what are you doing out in the rain?" He's trying to smile but is busy being annoyed at the rain collecting on his eyelashes.

The redhead looks at him as if he's slightly crazy, grabbing his umbrella with two hands if he needs to fight. "I could be asking you the same thing..."

"I'm headed home. Sadly stuck without a handy umbrella." He's starting to feel a shiver, the water soaking through his pants. He'd never been this wet from the rain before, but what could it hurt?

"How far is your home? You're an idiot. You could catch pneumonia." With a heavy sigh, the man hangs his umbrella over them both, glancing at his watch. "Make this fast." He mumbles as the sign changes. He starts to walk so Raleigh follows confusedly.

"What's going on?" Raleigh asks, mainly to himself. He can't seem to form an answer in his head, why this stranger who was about to knock the living daylights out of him is suddenly helping him through this heavy storm. His eyes remain on the redhead, not paying attention to what's in front of him. A light flashes and soon follows a crack of thunder, making Raleigh flinch.

"What do you mean 'what's going on?' Doing my good deed to homeless." The redhead has to bite his tongue from continuing on, hoping that this man knows where the hell he's going. Raleigh wishes he could put a name to the face, not able to remember what that man had called him in the store.

Chuckling humorlessly, Raleigh rolled his eyes, pushing the man's umbrella away. "Thanks, but I don't need your charity." He's about to run off, boots sloshing in the puddles when the man's hand captures his wrist.

"Fine, fine. Sorry. Think of it as me apologizing for earlier." The man responds, making sure that he could avoid from looking into Raleigh's face. "Fuck, I don't even know your name..."

"Raleigh." Raleigh chokes out, starting to shiver. He can feel his bottom lip quiver. The rain was barely hitting him but the cold breeze was getting to him. The sky was getting darker as they spoke, meaning the storm was going to get worse. "Look, I only have about half a mile to go. The storm's going to get bad, really bad. Thanks for the help-"

"I can walk half a mile." The redhead responds, short and emotionless.

Shrugging, Raleigh decides angrily that if the redhead wants to be stubborn then he can be stubborn. They walk in silence after that point, both to reluctant to be the first to break the silence. Raleigh's shivering has hit a new level, making the stranger next to him concerned, even though he'd never admit it. They reach the front of Raleigh's building. Raleigh walks over the threshold, nodding in thanks when his knees go weak. He almost falls to the ground but he recovers.

"That's not good." The redhead responds to watching this 'Raleigh' almost pass out. He let his umbrella fall to the ground, too concerned with keeping the blonde up. He has a supporting hand under Raleigh's arm but the man jerks his limb free.

"I got it from here, thanks." Raleigh says bitterly, moving to the steps.

The redhead watches curiously, seeing how well the man can move. He's shivering violently, making any moving task almost impossible. With a heavy sigh, he collects his umbrella and hurries to the blonde's side. He hooks his arm with the blonde's and helps him slowly up the steps. "What apartment is yours?" He asks cautiously, wondering if they'd have to climb another flight.

"Room 104." The blonde chatters out between his teeth. His lips are turning puprle and his face his an unhealthy white.

The redhead turns to his right, glad to find room 104 on the right in the middle of the hall. He watches as the blonde fishes deep in his wet pocket, bringing out a shining pair of keys. He tries to thrust it into the keyhole but due to his shaking hands, it's nearly impossible. The redhead adds an annoyed sigh again as he lays his hand over the blonde's. He helps guide the key to the hole, twisting the knob.

They push their way into the apartment, glad to finally be _somewhere._

"You-" Raleigh's trying to speak but his clattering teeth make it nearly impossible.

With a worried look, the redhead moves to set him on the couch but shakes his head. The man is absolutely soaked. "Look, I know I'm a stranger but get naked." He turns to face the man head on, a slight blush on his own cheeks. He definitely worded that wrong.

The man in front of him clearly wants to argue but can't. "W-why?" Raleigh can't form any other words, his body temperature still dropping. He turns around, focusing on the thermostat when the lights flicker. The apartment goes dark, the only light coming from outside. It casts a dark blue on everything, making it very eerie. "No h-heat." Raleigh manages, turning back to the stranger.

"Well, isn't that bloody fantastic." The redhead responds, accent thickening with anger. "That means to running water either?"

Raleigh shakes his head.

"Shit. Okay. Well, then you're definitely going to have to get naked or else freeze to death." The man responds snappily, crossing his arms over his chest.

Rolling his eyes, Raleigh's numb fingers grab his wet sweater. Clumsily, he pushes it up under his armpits but can't seem to do much else. He shakes his head, embarrassment flooding over him. "Can't." He manages to say, eyes falling to the ground. He can't even comprehend how awkward this is, being in his apartment with a complete stranger as a storm rages on outside.

The redhead seems to be thinking the same thing as he steps closer, regret shining in his eyes. His hands lift up, grabbing onto Raleigh's shirt hesitantly. Slowly, he slides Raleigh's arm out of one side and then slips the sweater of Raleigh's head. Once the sweater is removed, he throws it to the ground, not sure where else to put it. His eyes flicker down to Raleigh's pants and then back to Raleigh's glowing blue eyes. Even in the predicament he's in, Raleigh still can find this funny.

"I'll do it." He breathes out heavily as shaky fingers land on the metal button. There’s still a hint of a smile on his face as ducks his head. He focuses on the button, trying his hardest to still his hands for the moment being to slip it through the hole. Biting his lip, he grasps both sides of his jeans and pulls forward, successfully getting the button to slide right out.

The man in front of him rolls his eyes, “Good job.” He says sarcastically, head bent to look at Raleigh’s complex-looking boots. “Now how are you getting those off?”

“W-with your h-help…” Raleigh grins, crossing his arms over his bare chest so he can rub at his biceps.

The stranger rolls his eyes, shaking his had. He puts a warm palm on the back of Raleigh’s shoulder and leads him over to the couch. He doesn’t sit him down, he keeps him standing in front of the furniture to let his eyes gaze up and down his body. Raleigh suddenly feels self-conscious, being under such harsh, judging eyes.

When the redhead looks up into Raleigh’s eyes, he’s puzzled to see worry there. His face speedily contorts to worry. “Is everything all right?”

“Fine. Yes. J-just… nervous.” Raleigh responds, still chattering. He wants to load up on the blankets and just lie there forever, never moving until he has to eat.

“Nervous? Why – you know what, I’ll just ask you later. And lets never speak of this moment again? Because I never do this with anybody, let alone strangers.” The man moves steadily to his knees, fingers ducking under Raleigh’s pants. Despite his hopes, his heart embarrassingly speeds up and his cheeks flush.

Raleigh gives a muted nod, too busy watching the stranger at work. He isn’t sure why but this is quite a turn on. The man is obviously nervous, flustered but isn’t backing down. Gulping, Raleigh looks down at the man under dark lashes, a bit of heat running through his frame.

The man pulls down his pants to rest at his knees. He looks up at the Raleigh, a question in his eyes before his hand lands on Raleigh’s toned stomach. He pushes, sending the blonde down onto the couch. He doesn’t talk, turning to Raleigh’s boots. Once they’re off, he sets them together to the side of the couch, wondering if they’ll ever recover.

“Is there anything else you need?” The man stays on his knees, earnestly worried about this man he doesn’t even know.

“Yeah,” Raleigh tries to push him forward but his muscles are seriously protesting so he just hugs a pillow. “A name.”

The man cocks a smile, laughing a deep, wondrous laugh. “My name is Chuck. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier…”

Raleigh grins, his pale lips catching Chuck’s interest. “That’s okay. Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

Chuck looks around the apartment, the power off. The storm outside is still raging, the sky turning an odd color as it rumbles. He takes a moment to check his phone to see if there are any severe warnings. Much to his displeasure, he sees a tornado warning written across the screen. Growling, he checks his watch, biting his lip as he thinks.

“Do you need a-a place to stay? The s-storm is really bad after all… I wouldn’t w-want you going out i-in that.” Raleigh pulls a pillow closer to himself, cuddling it.

“I wouldn’t want to impose.” Chuck is responding, having nothing else to say. It’s not normal for strangers to just do this. It’s so absolutely strange to him that he can barely calm his nerves.

“I’m sure the storm will blow over in an hour or so. Until then, please stay in this very safe apartment until then. No stranger danger, I promise.” Raleigh’s teeth are still chattering and his lips are quivering but he’s managed to get rid of the stutter.

Sighing, Chuck slowly nodded. “If you truthfully don’t mind my company.” He bites his lip as he looks around awkwardly. “Are their any blankets I could get you…?”

Raleigh seems to think, apparently scarce of blankets. “I have a blanket on my bed if you could get that for me.”

Chuck laughs, pointing down the hallway. “Bedroom back there?”

Raleigh nods, shoulders twitching as he tried to calm his shivers. Chuck, truthfully worried, calmly rushed to get the blanket. He grabbed the comforter off the bed and raveled it in his arms. He walked out of the room, resisting the urge to snoop in the man’s room. He wanted to look at pictures, find out some secrets, see what he’s all about.

He threw the blanket over the shivering man, moving to stand in front of him. He was on his knees again, eyes stuck on the man’s pale lips. He moves to press his palm against the man’s forehead but pauses, waiting for permission. Raleigh grants it hesitantly, not exactly positive as to what he’s doing. He melts when Chuck’s warm fingers splay against his skin.

“You’re freezing.” Chuck says, shock lacing his tone.

“Tell me somethin’ I don’t know.” Raleigh forces out, clutching the blanket tighter around himself.

Sighing, Chuck runs a hand through his red hair, knowing damn well what he’s supposed to do. Reluctantly, he starts to speak, putting his head in his hand. “Okay, powers out which means no heat, no warm shower. If you don’t get some sort of warmth you’re going to get really sick.”

Raleigh looks at him blankly. “I have a blanket.

“The blanket isn’t going to do anything if you can’t produce any heat.”

“What are you suggesting?” Raleigh watched as the man’s face turned pink.

“I’m not suggesting it, I’m just saying that-”

“Wait, I can get warm through other peoples body heat, right?” Raleigh seems proud of himself that he can think of this. Chuck can't help but grin, nodding. He wants to see what else the man can think of and hopefully he won't have to take the blame of thinking it up. "Hey, stranger to stranger, will you please warm me up so I don't die?"

Chuck's heart skipped a beat as he looked at the empty space next to Raleigh. "Well, when you put it that way..." Chuck pushes himself up from the floor and slips under the blanket, sitting rather close to the man already.

Chuck groans, leaning into the heat welcomingly. His eyes roll into the back of his head and if Chuck didn't know any better he would have said Raleigh wanted to put his head on his shoulder. Chuck wanted to tell him he could. "So, tell me more about yourself so that I don't have to feel guilty about not knowing you."

Chuck chuckles, letting the blanket hang off of him awkwardly. He doesn't feel right under a blanket with all his clothes on, his shoes and socks still on his feet. And then he realizes that that shouldn't be his first worry. Chuck should be worried he's in some random man's apartment, cuddling with him under a blanket. Hell, he'd been ready to kick the blonde's ass today just for bumping into him. He felt as though _this,_ whatever the hell they were currently doing, should be a good enough apology. Clearing his throat, he started to talk. "I have a dog named Max. He's an English Bulldog. He's my best friend. Hmm, what else? I work on cars a lot. I'm sort of a mechanic but not really. It's just a hobby. My name is Chuck Hansen."

"Nice to meet you, Chuck Hansen. I'm Raleigh Becket." The man should be tired, wore out and finally comforted by the heat he's given, but he looks as if he's wide awake and ready to run a marathon.

"Nice to meet you too, Raleigh." Chuck slips the tip of his thumb past his lips, nipping at his finger nail for a moment before he looks at Raleigh. "Your turn."

"Wow. Okay. I have two really good friends, Newt and Hermann. They share an apartment. I was grocery shopping with them today when I met you. They wouldn't shut the fuck up so I went to bail on them like a little kid when I ran into my other friend Mako." He tried to think of more, a puzzled look on his face. "This isn't about me but, Jesus, I have to tell somebody. I spent the night at Newt and Hermann's apartment. We, a few months ago, were all equal. Just simple friends hanging out. But suddenly I feel like the third wheel. Hermann and Newt definitely got something going on. Some sort of weird scientist dating. Nothing worse than when your friends start dating and leave you in the dust."

Chuck giggles at that, wanting to ask more about this Mako but doesn't want to pry. "I was shopping with my dad, as lame as it sounds. He can be an asshole so when I was with him I was already pissed off and wanted to pick a fight. After I bumped into you I got to pick out ice cream so I was happy."

"Do you live with your dad?" Raleigh asks, propping his elbow up on the side of the couch. He inches closer to Chuck, hoping he won't notice.

Chuck makes a face as he thinks. "More like my dad lives with me. I moved out and then my dad sold his house and had no where to go so here we are."

"That's nice of you. Do you want anything to eat? Food in the fridge and cabinets." Raleigh offers, suddenly feeling like an awful host. Chuck turns to smile at him and notices some color returning to his cheeks. It comforts him knowing that he's helping Raleigh.

"I'm good, thanks. Would you like me to make you anything?” Chuck isn’t sure if he should put forward his horrible cooking skills but he’d try his best for this stranger. He isn’t sure what it is about Raleigh but he brings forth a challenging, adventurous side of Chuck.

“No, I’m fine, thank you though.” Raleigh tucks his feet up on the couch, sitting Indian-style as he glanced out the window. He frowned, seeing that the situation was getting worse and worse. “Looks like we may have a tornado on our hands. Might want to get comfortable, kick your shoes off.”

Nodding, Chuck leaned forward and started to untie his boots. He should feel uncomfortable but he feels completely at ease, relaxing with this man he’s never met until today under his blanket. It’s true, the storm looks deadly and the room is getting so dark it’s to the point that Chuck can barely see Raleigh who is sitting right next to him.

“Raleigh, do you by any chance have candles? Something to light up this room a little…” Chuck pulls his boots off and sets them a foot away, running a hand through his hair to gain a sense of familiarity.

“Yeah, I have some in the kitchen. I’ll get them.” Raleigh’s moving to stand up but Chuck stops him, putting a firm hand on the man’s freezing shoulder.

“I can get them. Stay and get warmed up. Matches?” Chuck’s padding his way into the kitchen, going to the drawer as directed. There lay four large candles, short and fat with a few birthday candles lying near. He spots the matches and smiles, pushing them into his pocket. “Never mind.”

He walks steadily to the living room, placing two of the thick candles on the coffee table in front of him. He sets them an equal distance apart and pulls out the matches. He gets out a flimsy stick and strikes it against the side of the box. It sizzles and pops as the flame slowly becomes steady. Leaning forward, he let’s the match heat up the wicks and burn. The candles light easily so he shakes the match out, laying it on the coffee table.

“You’re good at that. I always break the matches.” Raleigh seems to be sulking at Chuck’s skills but is too focused on warming himself up.

With a sigh, Chuck plops down next to Raleigh and takes the man’s hands in his. He rubs them with a tender touch, allowing the man’s numb fingers to come back to life in his grasp. His heat is quick to spread to Raleigh, gaining a groan of pleasure in the process. Chuck smirks when Raleigh’s head falls back against the couch.

“Warmer?” Chuck asks, sandwiching Raleigh’s hands in between his.

Raleigh nods, “Definitely. But whatever you do, don’t stop. You’re like a furnace.”

Chuck, despite Raleigh’s words, pulls his hands back. Raleigh groans, wanting to pull Chuck’s hands back but watches the man peel off his jacket. He’s only in a flimsy t-shirt now but Raleigh won’t complain. The jacket is suddenly thrust at him. “Put it on. It should keep you warm.”

Raleigh rolls his eyes, afraid he might be blushing at the offer. “I have plenty of my own clothes here.”

“Which are equally as cold as this apartment. The jacket should be arm. Just take it, you idiot.” Chuck is holding it out for Raleigh to slip in to, eyes expecting.

Sighing, Raleigh smiles as he slips into the jacket. Chuck’s completely right, the thing is almost burning Raleigh’s cold skin. With a satisfied shiver, Raleigh groans again. “Oh, that’s nice.”

Chuck looks smug as he nods. “I told you.” Chuck’s sentence ends with a loud roll of thunder, making him jump with wide eyes. He looks out the window, almost shaking with the loud noise. With a sigh, he turns back to Raleigh, smiling apologetically.

“What’s wrong with you?” Raleigh asks, amused at the man’s reaction. He thinks that he could be frightened by the thunder but he’d rather hear the other man admit it.

“N-Nothing. Just wasn’t expecting the thunder is all.” Chuck responds, reaching forward to grab his phone. He presses the power button but is very annoyed to see that it was dead. With a groan, he set it against the table and collapsed against the couch.

“Phone dead?” Raleigh asks, still rather amused. “You’re free to use mine any time.”

Chuck rolls his head to the side, facing Raleigh. “You’re so strange, do you know that?”

Raleigh laughs, a confused expression on his face. “Is that supposed to be a compliment?”

“No.” Chuck answers but adds a sideways smile. Raleigh smiles back, silently conveying teasing words with his cocky eyes. Chuck feels a rush of air go through him, his heart picking up pace. Clearing his throat, he straightens up, letting his tongue slip out to wet his pink lips.

Raleigh notices this, eyes moving to stare longingly at Chuck’s flush, plump lips. “Chuck, I don’t think… this is such…” Raleigh’s moving in closer, regardless of his words. He’s making the first move and that’s what makes this whole ordeal even worse. He moves closer, an inch from Chuck’s face until he really thinks about what he’s doing. “I shouldn’t do this.”

Chuck gulps, his hand reaching up to rest behind Raleigh’s neck. He tangled his fingers up in the loose hair at the nape of his neck, nervously twisting the strands over and over. “No, we shouldn’t.” Chuck pushes himself forward, connecting their lips in a messy, desperate fashion. His hands stills at the back of Raleigh’s head, trying to push him closer and closer to him.

Taking a deep breath, Raleigh moved his lips against Chuck’s with a fasinated interest. He proceeded carefully, caring to find out how Chuck kissed. He quickly found out that Chuck was mostly lips, a little bit of tongue when he wanted to make a point. Raleigh, on the other hand, appreciated tongue and wanted to show just how useful it could be. With a forceful push, he launched his tongue against Chuck’s, grazing it with a tender touch.

Chuck whimpers, cowering against the arm of the couch. His free hand rests against Raleigh’s chest, fingers playfully grazing against the man’s hard, cold nipple. He tries to deepen the kiss, wanting all of Raleigh but the man pulled back.

“Up.” Raleigh’s grabbing at Chuck’s legs, pulling them up on the couch. He’s placing himself in between Chuck’s legs, groin against groin in a heated match.

Chuck’s blushing, his face a new level of red as he clears his throat. He has no clue what to do, how to continue it. He smiles carefully, trying not to show his inexperience. Placing his hands on Raleigh’s shoulders, he chuckles. “You’re still freezing.”

Raleigh, with a wolfish grin, slips his cold fingers under Chuck’s shit, gaining a surprised gasp. He looked absolutely alluring, as if he was trying to pour all his attractiveness out at once. He flattened his hands against Chuck’s stomach. “Good thing you’re like a furnace.”

Chuck coyly turned his face away as Raleigh tried to lean in for a kiss. Fixatedly, Chuck caught Raleigh’s head in his hands. “I want to know what to do – when morning comes should I-”

Raleigh languidly wrapped his hands around Chuck’s wrists, resting them on his shoulders instead. “Never live in the future when you can live in the moment.” He says, licking out at Chuck’s lips.

Giggling, Chuck pushed the man away, hiding his face. “I swear, you’re like a dog.”

Raleigh pulls back, looking affronted, “Now that’s not very nice, Chuck.”

Chuck wraps his legs tighter around Raleigh’s waist, enjoying the sight above him. Biting his bottom lip, he gazes at the man’s toned stomach. “I’m not a nice person, Raleigh.” His fingers glide over the man’s abs, fixated with the muscle.

“Well, I’m very good at teaching people manners.” Raleigh blissfully leans in, letting his lips leave feather light kisses against Chuck’s. His hands move to the man’s thighs, gripping aggressively, almost painful.

Outside, the thunder roars loudly, making Chuck jump in Raleigh’s arms. The man pulls back, ready to make a comment on it but Chuck grabs him by the roots of his hair and crashes their lips back together. Raleigh makes a pained noise, worrying Chuck but soon adds a moan of pleasure at the end, bringing back his confidence.

Raleigh grunts as he bucks forward, his groin creating just enough pressure to keep up the teasing atmosphere. He grazes the under side of Chuck’s tongue, making the man weak in his hands.

“Should we,” Chuck pushes at Raleigh’s shoulder, looking him in the eyes. “Should we go slower? I don’t want this to be weird…”

Raleigh shrugs, mainly to himself. “Not like we’re going to ever see each other again.”

Chuck suddenly freezes, that sentence sitting in. Raleigh’s completely right. He’d gotten childish and assumed that this meant so much more than it actually did. Raleigh, who appears to have more experience, knew exactly what was going to happen the second he passed Chuck in the street. He tries not to but Chuck feels ridiculous, like it was an inside joke about him. He was being laughed at, not being laughed with.

Clearing his throat, he tried to collect his thoughts but everything was racing. His heart was about to jump out of his throat, his eyes felt like they were about to explode out of his skull, his veins were running with nothing but anger. With a quiet ‘hmm’ he got up pushed Raleigh away, collecting his coat.

Raleigh sat back on his haunches, looking at the redhead confusedly. “Did I say something?”

Chuck shakes his head, eyebrows knitted closely together and mouth pulled tight. He tries not to frown when Raleigh doesn’t stop him. “I’ve really got to get home. I… left the stove on.” He wants to hit himself at the idiotic excuse. Jesus, he doesn’t even cook but it was the first thing he could think of.

Raleigh cocks his head to the side, the smallest smirk threatening to break through. He realizes Chuck’s trying to get away but probably not knowing the proper reason. He shrugs, laying on his back where Chuck had just been moments ago. He places his hands behind his head, allowing his torso and hard cock for show.

Chuck avoids the sight in fear of giving in and being heartbroken afterwards. Chuck Hansen doesn’t get his heart broken. He doesn’t give anyone a chance to get close enough just for that reason. So here he is, doing what he does best. He’s going to flee, having no idea what else to do.

“It was fun while it lasted.” Raleigh admits, watching closely as Chuck slips his boots on. The strings dangle over the sides, threatening to trip Chuck with every movement.

Chuck doesn’t have anything to say, his eyes are burning with tears full of anger and hurt. Although Chuck would never admit that he was hurt by a stranger. He wasn’t weak but god damn he felt like it right now. He throws a hand over his shoulder as his goodbye. He stands in front of the door, twisting the doorknob. The thing won’t budge which makes it that much worse.

“Chuck, honestly, I would feel much better if you’d stay. The storm is-”

Chuck cuts him off as he pulls the door hard. It swings open, almost hitting him in the face. He clears his throat and nods to reassure himself. “I don’t give a shit about the storm.”

Raleigh quirked an eyebrow as he watched the man’s muscled shoulders, the door swinging shut behind him. He collapses against the mattress, rain pattering against the window. He stares down at his hard cock, feeling ot pulse as he imagines his session with Chuck going a little further.

-

Chuck wakes up the next morning feeling just as stupid as he had the night before. He rolls over onto his back, staring up at the blank ceiling as if the patterns would give him answers. When nothing comes to mind he growls and rolls over, hiding his face in his pillow.

The young man gets a couple hours more sleep before his cell phone starts to wring persistently. He groans, loud and clear into the pillow before reaching over for the device. He narrows his eyes as he reads the screen.

“Hello?” He rumbles out, wondering why the hell anybody would bother with him so early.

“Hey, Ginger. How are you, pal?”

Chuck hates the nick name but the fact that Tendo’s generously curious about his wellbeing makes him smile. He rolls over on his back, arching his back off the mattress to stretch. “I’m doing okay. How about you, nerd?”

Chuck can almost hear Tendo roll his eyes over the phone line. “I’m doing very well, my dearest friend. I was hoping that you would accompany me to the bar tonight. After all, you’ve just turned twenty-one and haven’t had a chance to celebrate! What’s wrong with your Aussie ass?”

Chuck laughs lowly, feeling much better. He’s glad he’s had Tendo almost since birth. He rubs at his eyes as he continues. “So many things. I’m fucked up. But I would love to go on a date with you, Tendo.”

“Aw, shucks, Chuck! You’ve made me the happiest guy. Get you drinking face on. We’re getting fucked up tonight.” Tendo’s words sound as if they’re a threat and that worries Chuck and excites him at the same time.

“You have no idea how ready I am.” Chuck comments, rubbing at the end of his nose next. He can feel a sneeze coming up on him but holds it back. “Where and when?”

-

Chuck isn’t sure why he’d ever agree to going out with Tendo. Nothing but bad things happen whenever he’s with the hotheaded mathematician. Sure, Tendo is one of the greatest people ever to crunch numbers but he’s an idiot when it comes to human situations.

Chuck’s ordering two beers, adding onto their previous three. He’s getting a good buzz and he can tell Tendo’s getting their quicker than he is. The man is cheering in the back of the bar, being loud and obnoxious like most of the other patrons.

He’s collecting the two beers, smiling as he tries to steadily make his way back when he gets a tap on his shoulder. He turns around to face one of his oldest friends Newton.

“Newt? Jesus, what are you doing here?” Chuck asks, beers chilling his hands.

“I wanted to get a night out. Impress a lad if you know what I’m saying.” He throws his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of his table. A man’s sitting there alone, eyes glued to the front door. He’s slim with an odd haircut but is rather adorable. Chuck nods in approval.

“Got a good one there.” He moves his right hand forward to nudge Newt’s shoulder. He can’t stop himself from waggling his eyebrows to make the action more dramatic.

The dark-haired man blushes, laughing nervously as he scratches at the back of his head. “Yeah, he’s something special.” He straightens up, turning serious. “Look, I’ve got someone I want to hook you up with. I really think it’d end up amazing.”

Chuck grimaces, motioning with the beers. “I don’t know, Newt. I’m not one for blind dates-”

Newt seems to notice the two beers for the first time and makes a general motion towards them. “Are you with someone already?”

Chuck looks down at them, surprised he’d bring them up. He glances at them and then back of Tendo, scoffing. He adds in an obnoxious laugh to show Newt how ridiculous that would be. “Just a friend.”

Newt nods, seeming to understand. “Well, then you should definitely give this guy a chance. He’s really nice. Not hard on the eyes either, if you know what I mean.”

“I guess I could think about it. If you really think we’d get along that well…”

Newt nods, a grin breaking out across his face. He plants a hand on Chuck’s shoulder, squeezing reassuringly. “Trust me, I can’t go wrong on this one. He’ll be coming tonight actually so if you want just glance over, see what you think.”

Chuck laughs awkwardly, hesitantly agreeing. “All right, Newt. I’ll be talk to you later.” He turns around and makes way back to Tendo, setting the beer in front of him once he gets there. He glimpses up at the television to see what Tendo was making such a big deal on.

“Since when do you watch football?” Chuck questions, taking a sip out of his beer.

Tendo looks at the man as if he’s crazy, motioning to the television wildly. “This isn’t _football_. This is a good game of soccer.”

Chuck rolls his eyes, grinning as his friend cheers loudly. He’s quick to mutter some derogatory words to the other team and then chugs his drink. Chuck watches the man with some what astonishment and annoyance. “Tendo, shut up. You’re going to get us kicked out of here-”

“Yeah, yeah.” He sets his beer down just as the game goes on a break. He lets out a noise of protest, gaining many looks of people around him.

Chuck shrinks in his hair, hiding in the froth of his beer. Tendo eventually quiets down, getting to the stage of being completely wrapped up in something. He was too busy getting technical about the game and who was breaking what rule. To be honest, Chuck was surprised that Tendo actually knew this much about soccer.

 They sat there, chatting quietly and playfully nudging one another to keep the air light. They were chuckling at each other’s jokes and were picking out some funny mess ups in the game. They passed the point of tipsy and crashed right into being drunk when an hour passed. Together, they made their way past the bar and moved closer and closer to the door when Chuck felt another tap on his shoulder.

“Yes?” He turns to come face to face with a short man that looks fuming. Chuck isn’t even sure why but if he could guess from experience, he just wants a fight. With a sigh, Chuck waits for the man to continue.

“You sassing me?” The man responds, a slight accent in his tone.

Chuck rolls his eyes, shocked that this little man would have enough balls to approach him. “Nope, just wondering why you tapped me on the shoulder-”

Chuck’s cut off when the man swings out, trying to clip him. Having enough experience in fighting, he ducks, regardless how intoxicated he may be. He does know that he’s more sober than the idiot in front of him. Once he straightens up, he grabs the man’s wrist and twists it behind his back, pinning him to the bar.

“Why don’t your boyfriend come in and fight too?” The man teases, gritting his teeth as Chuck holds tighter.

Chuck’s about to make a snarky comment when he can hear heavy footsteps behind him. Something’s whizzing in the air so he does the only thing that makes sense and ducks. Another hand had came from behind him, swinging out to get him but only ends up hitting the man he pinned.

Tendo’s standing to the side, shocked at the whole affair. He puts his hands up and tries to look tough. “C’mon, let’s fuck these guys up.”

Chuck wants to roll his eyes at Tendo’s horrible stance but he saddles up next to the man, ready to face the two attackers. The man recovers and eventually, the two of them turn on a tensed Tendo and a relaxed Chuck.

They’re angry, slowly stepping forward with their hands raised when something makes them stop. They’re glancing behind the boys’ shoulders. Chuck wants to look but he decides against it, using his senses to try and guess if it’s another attack. Instead, the men just put their hands down at their sides and step away with sullen expressions.

Tendo starts to cheer, jumping in his place while patting Chuck on the shoulder. The redhead turns to his friend with a crooked grin as he turns to face whatever had scared the others off.

There behind them stands Newt, his date, and two others. Chuck mumbles a thank you, nodding his head in gratitude when he spots Raleigh. He pats Newt on the shoulder in a goodbye, pretending he hadn’t spotted the other man. Chuck wants to make connections, remembering something about Raleigh mentioning friends dating each other but his mind is too fuzzy for that.

With blurry vision, he stumbles past the group with Tendo in tow behind him. He tries to come off as harsh and sort of a badass but he’s pretty sure Newt sees right through him.

“Why are we not getting Stacker and Herc out here? Jesus, that would be a night and a _fight_. If Stacker would have been here, that man would have been going to the hospital.” Tendo shakes his head, ranting a few steps behind Chuck. They’re almost to the door when the woman from the group grabs Tendo by the elbow. Chuck turns around, watching their exchange carefully.

“Stacker? Stacker Pentecost?” She asks slowly, confused at the coincidence.

Tendo nods, not bothered by her tight grip. “Yes, ma’am. Stacker Pentecost. I work for him and Herc Hansen. I’m basically their bitch. Do you know him?”

Mako nods, softly smiling. Where Tendo can’t make a connection, Chuck can. He realizes her as the daughter-figure he’s always talking about. Her name is Mako Mori and is the brightest fighter in all of her classes. “He is my father.”

Tendo flinches at that, grimacing. “Oops. Shit. Please excuse me, Miss Mori.” Tendo does a short bow and then flies over to the door that Chuck’s holding open. But it would be a joke to leave so easily.

“Wait, I’ve a question. You know Herc too?” Raleigh’s walking up to Mako’s side, hands on his hips. He looks almost angry as he quizzically scans them.

Tendo chuckles sarcastically, motioning to Chuck as his words fly out. “’Course. He’s Chuck’s dad. The Hansen’s. I’m shocked you haven’t heard of them.”

Chuck looks at the man with anger flaring in his eyes. He can feel Raleigh’s eyes on him, working under his skin. “Tendo, shut up.”

Tendo shrugs his shoulders, waving goodbyes to everyone as Chuck pulls him out of the bar.

-

Chuck has a small headache the next morning, not enough to be painful, just enough to be a constant nagging. He takes some ibuprofen and slips on some clothes. He’s headed out the door when he hears his phone ring. He’s half tempted to let it ring, seeing as the last time it did, bad things came out of it. He picks it up anyway.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Chuck. Will you stop by today? I’ve got some new students I really need your help with.” Herc’s sounding desperate on the other end of the phone line.

Chuck nods, hoping his father can understand through the phone. “I suppose. I’ve got nothing better to do today. What age group?”

“Scattered really. A couple of older ones, some really young ones. I was hoping he could work with the kids.”

Chuck agrees, slipping his phone into his pocket as he heads out of his apartment.

-

Chuck cards his fingers through his hair, noticing it’s getting lengthy as he walks through the doors. He spots his father immediately, getting ready for the class. They’ll start teaching self-defense in about five minutes.

Herc perks up when he sees Chuck enter. “My boy! Thank you so much for coming to help me.”

Chuck nods, waiting patiently for his father to tell him what to do and where to go. He’s instructed to the left side of the building where there’s more toys for the littler ones than anything. He sighs, not aware that his audience would have been this little but he’ll make the best out of it.

After he’s done stretching, many of the customers come rushing in. All the children rush over to Chuck’s side while all the older ones head over to Herc. He smiles at the children, waving hesitantly.

“Hello, my name is Chuck. Now, first things first. We have to learn everyone’s name. How about we start at the right of this row and then make our way through. Just scream out your name as loud as you can.” Chuck points his finger at each kid, making sure they now when to go. He keeps a friendly smile on his face.

The kids finish up and are grinning when they’re done. They’re excited and ready for the day to start.

“Okay, guys. Our first step is to learn a simple hit.” He extends his arm as he says hit, showing them what he means.

An hour later the class comes to an end and the kids are properly trained. They grab at their parents once they disperse and eagerly show them the new moves that Chuck showed them. He hangs back, now beaming as the children left.

Herc comes over, grasping on his boy’s shoulder and squeezing. “You did a goo job, son.” He sounds proud, warm, and inviting. His hand slides down Chuck’s back and he knows what’s coming but it doesn’t prepare him. Herc’s hand lifts and comes smacking down against Chuck’s butt.

“Ow!” He calls out, cradling his bum in his hands. His dad retreats, hands still at his sides. He’s grinning mischievously, egging Chuck on.

The corner of Chuck’s mouth quirks up, making his smile seem much sinister. He breaks into a run, launching himself at his father. His legs wrap around the man’s torso and they fall to the ground. He can’t see everything but Herc rolls them so that Chuck is on his back. His father’s hands grab his wrists, pressing tight enough to make his hands go numb. Chuck brings his feet up to press in the crevice of Herc’s hips and he pushes. The man slides back, causing his face to come closer to Chuck’s. He pulls his wrists free with a swishing motion and holds onto his father’s shoulders. With a fast move, Chuck ends up on top, looking down into his father’s face. He pins the man’s hands to the mat and grins.

Herc nods, impressed. “Great job. But…” He trails of, his leg doing something behind Chuck and twists so that Chuck is pinned against the mat. “Don’t get cocky.”

Chuck rolls his eyes, breathing heavily as his dad helps him up from the mat. He bends over, resting his hands on his knees as Herc pats his back, equally out of breath. The silence in the room is interrupted by clapping.

The two glance up, eyes landing on Stacker, Mako, Tendo, and of course, Raleigh. Father and son share a glance before bowing, slightly embarrassed by their show. Chuck turns to Herc and bows, “I’ll be going now.”

Herc frowns, grabbing Chuck before he flees. “You don’t want to stay any longer? Let me introduce you before you leave…”

Chuck bows again, hands tucked behind his back. He allows his father to step ahead, following in his footsteps as they step in front of the trio. Herc grins as he comes closer, grabbing at Stacker’s shoulder. “Stacker, nice to see you this early. Good morning, Miss Mori.”

Chuck bows again, keeping his eyes down.

Stacker chuckles, eyes lighting up. “Herc, you look so alive for it being so early. Mako wanted to stop by early to get some practice in with Raleigh.” He motions to the blonde standing behind him. “He’s an amazing fighter. He’s a match for Mako-”

“He’s not that good.” Mako adds sarcastically, grinning.

Raleigh chuckles at the joke, remaining silent in the back.

“Truthfully, I’d love to see you and Chuck spar some more. That was extremely interesting to watch.” Mako’s trying to fill the silence while her father and Herc focus more on one another.

Chuck stands off to the side, watching the couple chuckle nervously and bump shoulders. He quirks an eyebrow in question but will ask later. He bows to the group. “I’m headed out but it was nice to meet you properly.”

Mako giggles, eyeing Herc. She leans in, lowering her voice. “Yes, I did not think last nights greeting was very proper.”

Chuck grins at her words but turns to Raleigh. The smile slips from his face as he nods stiffly. “Nice meeting you Mister…?” Chuck trails off, realizing he hadn’t ever grabbed a last name. He starts to worry that Raleigh may think it’s him hitting on him. He makes his gaze turn cold.

Raleigh doesn’t smile and barely looks him in the eye. “Becket.”

“Mister Becket, it was a pleasure to meet you.” Chuck knows sarcasm is slipping into his voice but he can’t help it. He grabs his bag and heads for the door, still barefoot. He has the door open to the main office where Tendo works at the computer when his name is called.

“Chuck, it’s my lunch break. Can I join you?” Tendo’s jogging up to Chuck, a crooked grin on his face.

-

Chuck’s behind the wheel of his car, Tendo next to him. The two are listening to a pop song that doesn’t fit their exteriors. The two don’t seem to mind, mumbling the words with wide smiles. They sway their torsos in the seat, dancing to the song as best as they could.

They pull up to a red light, windows down as the song pours out loudly. They sing anyway, not ashamed of their show when a car pulls up next to them. It’s a red car that Chuck’s afraid to say he doesn’t recognize. There’s three woman in the car, each eyeing the two men with seductive smiles.

Tendo leans over, waving friendly at the woman. Chuck rolls his eyes, easing on the gas pedal when the light turns green. Before they get too far, Tendo calls out. “I’m gay!”

There’s a holler of boo’s and aw’s from the other vehicle that has Chuck in hysterics as they pull up to his apartment. The two climb the steps into his loft, each exhausted when they finally reach the door.

Chuck throws his keys on the kitchen table, stretching his hands out in front of him as Tendo searches the fridge. The man digs in deep, picking out some foods that Chuck had forgotten he’d even bought. He sits himself at the table, waiting for Tendo to bring his armful of foods over to the table.

Inside his pocket, his phone vibrates against his leg. He picks out the phone, waiting for the name to show up on the screen. A picture of Newt shows up so he answers somewhat cautiously. “Hello?”

“Hey, Hansen. What’re you doin’ today?” His words are rushing together and there’s crunching on the other line.

“I love when you call me and eat. You sound so attractive.” Chuck adds sarcastically but hums. “Nothing, actually. At home with Tendo right now.”

Newt makes a loud noise in acknowledgement. “Tendo! Hey, man! How’d your date go… what, was it two days ago?”

Tendo sits down at the table, splaying all the food out. “Yeah, two days ago. It was okay. Guy hasn’t called me so I don’t think he was too impressed. His name was Yancy though. Who the hell is named Yancy?” He’s mainly commenting to himself now, placing bread out in front of him.

Newt’s silent on the other end of the line, obviously interested in Tendo’s words. “Yancy, you said?”

Tendo shoves the food into his mouth, humming yes to the man.

Newt only laughs on the other line, taking another bite of his crunchy food. “No fucking way.”

Tendo stops chewing, eyes going slightly wide. “What’s wrong?” He mumbles out, barely legible.

“Yancy’s the brother of the guy I’m trying to hook Chuck up with.” Newt answers calmly.

Chuck chokes on the water that’s sliding down his throat. He can feel his face get hot and his head throbs as he coughs the water out. With a wheeze, he straightens up, whimpering at the burning he can feel in his throat. Cradling his throat, Chuck tries to respond. “Newt, Jesus Christ.”

Newt’s laughing on the other line, loud and clear. Chuck can tell he’s alone. “You must think he’s hot. I can tell you’re embarrassed, I can hear it in your tone. You _like_ him.” Newt’s voice raises a few octaves at the end, teasing.

Chuck shakes his head as if Newt could see. Newt couldn’t but Tendo could and the man was laughing with Newt. “He does! You should see his face!”

Chuck sighs, ducking his head. His face only gets hotter and he has the urge to tell them about the other day. With a sigh, he takes a drink of water and stops the teasing when he speaks up. “Look, it’s so complicated but what I’m about to tell you guys can seriously never leave us.”

Tendo and Newt are quiet, silently waiting for him to continue. Tendo has round, wondering eyes as he waits for the new story.

Chuck keeps his eyes on the wood of the table as he speaks. “The other day, I met Raleigh before you had introduced me to him.” Chuck starts from the super market, going into great detail about later meeting him in the street and what happened in his apartment. Tendo had been so wrapped into the story that he’d leaned forward, placing his head on the table like an excited child. Chuck stops with a worried sigh. “And every time I turn around, there he is. I know it’s a few coincidences but it’s so god damn annoying.”

Newt’s quick to try and console his friend. “I can’t believe Raleigh did that. Honestly, I’m not just saying this, he’s one for relationships. He always jumps in head first-”

“Maybe I’m just defected.” Chuck interrupts, twirling a loose string in between his fingers.

“Far from it!” Newt almost screams. “No, I think he was just fed up with relationships with a bad ending. Probably was seeing how a one night stand would be.”

Chuck lets his head fall back over the chair, looking at the opposite wall. “The problem is that I like him.”

“Look, I can fix this. Both of you come around my apartment tonight about five o’clock.” Newt instructs, bumbling his words as he shoves food into his face. Tendo and Chuck both begin questioning but Newt stops them, insisting again. “Five o’clock.”

-

Together, Chuck and Tendo stand outside Newt’s door, looking sharp yet not overdressed. Chuck knocks on the wooden door, stepping back. He gives Tendo a small, worried smile and gets one in return. The door flies open.

“Oh, good. You guys dressed really well. I didn’t say anything because I knew you would anyway. Come on in, Hermann’s working on some food.” Newt’s words are flying out of his mouth at an inhuman speed. Carefully, the two men step into Newt’s apartment, headed straight for the kitchen.

Like Newt said, Hermann’s preparing food. He’s standing at the sink washing off produce. Around him are many other platters full of sweets, vegetables, fruits, and many different cheeses. He grins at the boys widely. “You’re here! Thank goodness. I need sane people here tonight.”

Tendo and Chuck share a look. “What exactly is going on tonight? Newt didn’t tell us.” Chuck asks, motioning to the fidgety man behind him.

“I didn’t think Newt would. Well, we wanted friends over and thought it’d be a good chance to tell everyone we’re dating.” He turns away from the sink, all but beaming at his two friends. “Newt asked me last night to be his and I agreed.” He looks reluctant to tell the rest which gains him some cheeky smiles. Hermann blushes and turns back to the sink.

“Tell us more! Just leave out the sex. Wait, I take that back. I want to hear about the sex. Newton, leave the room. Hermann needs to tell us things.” Tendo instructs, waving the man out into the living room. Newt looks offended for a second but moves into the living room, sitting down on the couch.

Hermann twists around, biting his lip. “It was all really adorable to be honest with you. I didn’t think it was going to happen. But, unlike Newt, I have to tell you guys something but you must promise you won’t leave.”

Tendo and Chuck share a look before reluctantly nodding.

“Well, Newt invited the Becket brothers.” Hermann braces himself but is shocked to see their empty faces.

“Becket?” Tendo questions, the word seeming familiar to him. He jumps when he realizes, snapping his fingers. He’s grinning when he finds it out but then the smile falls. Chuck, meanwhile, stands at the side, watching Tendo panic.

“The Becket’s? You mean the one that Tendo dated… and Raleigh?” Chuck inquires, eyes flitting between the two men.

Hermann nods, biting onto his lip in worry.

“Fuck.” Tendo and Chuck say in unison.

Sighing, Chuck moves over to the liquor, taking a swig. “Time to get fucked up.”

Tendo joins him, grabbing the bottle out of his hand and taking a healthy swig. “What time is everyone coming?”

Hermann checks his watch and then glances back at the boys. With unwillingness, he announces. “They should be here in a few minute.”

Hearing the news, Chuck takes another gulp of the alcohol. He looks helpless as he leans against the wall next to Hermann. “This really is going to be a disaster.”

As time passes, the alcohol disperses as more people enter. There’s a fair sized crowd in the apartment, each person with some sort of beverage in their hands. They stand around, chatting and eating the appetizers. Chuck stands to the side, Tendo next to him, as he looks out on the horde. He doesn’t recognize most of the people so he starts to search for Raleigh. An hour passes and the group gets smaller.

Hermann comes up to Chuck, an apologetic smile on his face. “Raleigh just texted me. He and Yancy have a family emergency. They can’t make it tonight.” He pats them both on the shoulder, looking regretful as he makes his way back to his friends.

Chuck and Tendo turn to each other, each grinning. Chuck can feel a weight being lifted off of his shoulders, no longer having to keep up a cool demeanor. Tend relaxes too, loosening the tie around his neck. They each help themselves to a shot to relax.

Another hour passes and the remaining couple exit the apartment, leaving it empty. Chuck is on the couch, head lolling back. Tendo’s next to him, resting on his shoulder. Hermann shuts the door behind the couple, turning to Chuck and Tendo. “Jesus, I thought they’d never leave.”

Chuck lifts his drink in agreement, barely able to move due to exhaustion. Hermann rolls his eyes, moving forward to scoop the drink out of his hand. Chuck tries to protest but fails. Hermann takes a sip and grimaces. “Shit, that’s potent.”

Chuck waggles his eyebrows, eyes drooping. He can hear Newt chuckle somewhere in the distance. A song starts to play and Chuck can’t help but sing along. He’s mumbling and the lyrics aren’t correct but he doesn’t care. The song is too happy for him to be sad.

“Chuck, honey, are you going to be okay?” Hermann’s caring voice sounds as if it’s right in his ear. He turns to him, grabbing the man into a hug for warmth. Hermann lets out a resounding chuckle, bubbling low in his chest.

“Whoa there, Chuck. Remember, he’s mine.” Newt’s tone is sarcastic but Chuck can tell there’s a small warning in there. He lets the man go reluctantly, pouting somewhat.

“I want a hug.” Chuck admits, leaning into Tendo’s heavy weight. He assumes the man passed out, poking him in the side just to check. A snore emits from him, making Chuck laugh. “He’s sleepy.”

Newt’s laughing now, his raspy laughter bursting through the room. Chuck opens his eyes to look at the man, leaning against the couch and cradling his stomach. He’s red in the face and looks as if he’s about to die from so much laughter. Chuck starts to laugh too even though the room looks like it’s spinning.

Chuck opens his mouth, about to retaliate when there’s a knock on the door. In his drunken stupor, he calls out, wanting the person to go away. “Party’s over dick bag!”

Hermann shushes him, a nervous laugh following. He jogs over to get the door, slipping behind the wall so Chuck can’t see. There’s low voices on the other side and the door shuts. Chuck starts to get nervous, knowing he’s not in the best state.

“Newt, I’m a drunken mess. Get me out of here.” Chuck begs, trying to kick his way up from the furniture. He barely moves, just enough to stir Tendo on his shoulder. The man bolts up, looking at Newt across from him and then Chuck.

“Who… here?” Tendo says, not having enough energy to say the rest. He straightens up, pulling on his tie even more to give him some room. His sloppy fingers move up to his top button, trying to slip the button out of its confine. When he fails, his hands fall to his sides and he whimpers.

“I don’t know.” Chuck whispers dramatically, watching carefully as the footsteps get closer.

Hermann walks in first, grinning as he sees Chuck and Tendo. “The party’s over but we’ve got some lingerers.” He announces, motioning to the couch.

Chuck and Tendo frown, ready to object when to blonde’s make their way out from behind Hermann. They each grin widely when they spot the motionless bodies on the furniture. Chuck avoids Raleigh’s eyes, looking towards Newt with pure anger. Helplessly, Newt puts his hands up to show his innocence.

“Hermann, Chuck is looking at me like he’s going to kill me.” He announces, worry lacing his tone.

“Honey, they stopped by unannounced. If I would have known, I would have warned you. Please forgive me.” Hermann rubs Chuck’s head soothingly, playing the role of the caring parent.

Chuck leans into the touch, still frowning. Raleigh, on the other hand, looks slightly offended and as if he wants to break down into laughter. “Why would he need to be warned?”

Hermann rolls his eyes, shaking his head at Raleigh. “I know you tried to pick our little Chuck up. And Yancy went on a date with Tendo. I’m not going to lie, because I can’t, but we tried to hook you guys up tonight. Sort of failed. Chuck predicted it would.”

Raleigh and Yancy both look awkward as they nod, searching around the room for a clear escape. Clearing his throat, Raleigh speaks up. “So Chuck told you about that?”

“Yeah, and a little more but we’ll keep that quiet for Chuck’s sake.” Hermann chuckles, moving to sit next to Newt. The man wraps his arm around Hermann’s waist, burying his head in Hermann’s neck.

Raleigh gasps, pointing at the two sarcastically to show Yancy. “Look! I told you! I knew it, man. They’ve been silently fucking behind our backs this whole time.”

Yancy takes a bite of food lying around, shrugging uninterestedly. “Hermann looks like a screamer. Maybe not quietly.”

Hermann’s face turns red so he hides it in his hands. “Oh my goodness, that was not something to announce to a room.”

Raleigh looks around, picking a chip out of Yancy’s hand. He earns a smack for that, getting hit right in his shoulder. “The room’s empty besides two drunks.”

“Listen hear you fuck wit, just because I’m as full as a boot doesn’t mean much. Sure, we were about to bury the bishop but that doesn’t mean I want your donga. Get your hand off it and get stuffed. Ya tosser.” Chuck shakes his head, pushing his way up from the couch. Tendo follows behind, eyes wide.

“Whoa, you just went full Aussie.” Tendo says, a giggle following quickly. He links his arm with Chuck’s unable to stand on his own. He looks like he’s sobering up but is having one hell of a hangover.

Raleigh’s standing across the room, crossing his arms over his chest. He looks impressed, making Chuck shrink under his intense gaze. After a second, he starts to nod as if in approval. “I didn’t understand a word you just said.” He decides to say.

Chuck wants to dignify his words but is too tired. He waves the man off, moving towards the door with Tendo’s weight in tow.

“Wait, where are you going?” Hermann asks, confused.

Chuck points to the door, sidestepping one of the chairs. “Home.”

Hermann gives Raleigh a sideways glance before groaning. “How?”

“Driving.”

Hermann shakes his head, placing his chin in his chin as he watches. “Do you have your keys?”

Chuck nods yes, only a few steps from the door now.

“Can I see them?”

Chuck starts to dig through his pockets so Hermann turns to Raleigh, smiling shortly. “Can you go get them from him?’

Raleigh grins as he walks over, boots clacking on the ground. The second Chuck’s keys are revealed from his pockets, Raleigh snatches them. Chuck looks at his hand, dumbfounded and then back to Raleigh. With a crooked smile, Raleigh holds the keys up and jingles them.

“Chuck, you’re far too drunk, honey.” Hermann answers, his nurturing tone returning.

“Hey, there’s a bar down the street. Wanna hit it up?” Tendo asks, grinning wickedly. He motions with his limp hand, mimicking drinking a beer.

Chuck nods quickly, spinning around with his arm around Tendo. “I love you so much.”

Tendo is suddenly gone, being lifted up from Chuck. He turns around to see that one of the blonde, asshole Beckets has Tendo in his arms. Tendo hisses in pain as the man tosses him over his shoulder. “I just got a new tattoo. Fucking Becket’s.”

Raleigh grins, winking at Tendo as Yancy sits him down on the couch. “I know you love us, Choi.”

Chuck watches carefully, slowly tiptoeing backwards to the door. He’s almost there when his foot bumps into something. The bump sends him off balance and falling down. He ends up on his back, eyes glued to the ceiling as he growls. “Ow.”

“I’m sober though, guys. I just want to get my buzz going again.” Tendo admits. Everyone slightly believes him. The man is a hell of a drinker, one of the best Hermann has ever seen. During their college days, they’d hustle money from people by betting on Tendo.

“I know you’re good but Chuck is drunk off his ass. He’s really going to regret this in the morning.” Hermann answers. Everyone’s eyes gaze over to Chuck, seeing him roll on the ground in pain.

Newt busts out laughing at Chuck. “Kids only just turned twenty-one and we’re the ones to get him in this state. We’d be great parents, Herm.”

“He’s only twenty-one?!” Raleigh asks, voice raising a few octaves. It’s obvious he’d expected the man to be a little older due to his build and perhaps the fact that he’d been so mature while helping him warm up.

“Just a baby.” Tendo adds, a sarcastic chuckle following afterwards. He’s grinning evilly at Chuck, as if they’re conspiring against everyone inside the room.

Raleigh moves to help the man stand up but only gets his hand swatted away. Chuck rolls over on his stomach, moving to stand on his knees. He tries to get to his feet but is too wobbly so he curls his feet under him and sits. He rests his elbows on his knees and props his hands under his chin so he can pout.

“Oh, hun,” Hermann coons, adding a soft laugh. Chuck looks like a petulant child, sitting at Raleigh’s feet.

Newt looks puzzled, glancing over at Hermann. “You never call me honey.” He says, a small pout on his lips.

Hermann moves forward, pressing his lips to Newton’s pout. He pulls back, smirking. “Yes, but I never call them love, do I?”

Newt smiles back, sated by the kiss. “That’s right. Because I’m your love.”

With a chuckle, Hermann presses his lips to Newt’s again.

“Well, this is absolutely lovely, don’t get me wrong. Seeing my two best friends revealing their love for one another and these two being hilariously intoxicated but I think it’s time we go.” Yancy responds, a smile on his face. He glances around, seeming to wonder about said drunks. “What are you doing with them anyway?”

Tendo all but growls, sneering at Yancy. “Chopped liver, we are.” He comments, sending it in Chuck’s direction.”

Chuck stretches his shoulders, “I could go for an hour long nap.” He scratches the top of his head, disheveling his red hair. “Oh, I hate liver too.”

Sighing, Tendo stands up to go to the bathroom. Yancy, meanwhile, watches him in concern. The man bumps into the wall before he makes it to his designated room. He shuts the door tightly, throwing a middle finger over his shoulder before it shuts.

“Maybe this is a bad time to ask and it’s none of my business, but did you and Tendo’s date go well? He said he gave you his number but you never called.” Hermann explains, looking around the room in slight concern. Chuck busies himself with the tie around his neck while Raleigh watches on, amused.

Yancy tilts his head to the side, eyebrows knitting together. “He… no? That’s not what happened. We dated for about a year and then I ended it.” The subject seems to bring back bad memories for Yancy but Hermann continues to pry.

“What? You’re the one he was infatuated with?” Hermann asks the question to himself but Yancy can hear. He ducks his head, looking slightly ashamed. “I remember him dropping comments every now and then and then suddenly they stopped.”

“Yeah, well, he seemed so busy with his jobs and we barely saw each other so I thought I’d end it. I thought it was just a fling though. I didn’t know he thought we were in a relationship…” Yancy comments, glancing towards the bathroom door.

Hermann nods, seeming to understand. He’s about to say more when Tendo comes out of the bathroom. He’s tugging on the tie again, only tightening the not further. He’s groaning as he pulls and pulls. “Someone get this off of me.”

Without thinking, Yancy comes forward, working the tie loose. The moment the knot is out, he pulls back. Tendo adds an awkward nod in gratitude.

Chuck meanwhile, tries to untie his shoes but can’t seem to get a grasp on the lace. He huffs, giving up. He grabs onto his ankles, scanning the room when he sees Raleigh still looking at him. “Why are you staring at me?’

Raleigh crosses his arms, shrugging. “You’re pretty.”

Chuck rolls his eyes.

“Aren’t you a charmer, _Rah_ -leigh.” Chuck growls out, turning his head so he doesn’t have to look at the blonde.

“Do you two want to stay here tonight?” Hermann asks, looking more towards Tendo.

He shrugs, rubbing at his eyes. “I’ve got work in the morning. Just give me the keys, I’ll drive home.”

Raleigh’s picking the keys out of his pockets ready to toss them over when Yancy shakes his head. He raises his hand, waiting for Raleigh to toss the keys. He catches them and holds them in front of Tendo. “I can drive you home. Raleigh can take your friend home.”

Tendo sighs vehemently, pouting.

Chuck wants to protest but he know nothing will change. He moves to his feet, waving his goodbyes as everyone starts to leave. He follows behind Raleigh, frowning at his extra inch of height. The second they make it outside the building they part ways.

Chuck sits in the passenger seat of Raleigh’s car, feeling uncomfortable. He settles against the back seat, leaning against the window to get as far away from Raleigh as possible. He pulls out on the road, glancing back from Chuck to the road. “Are you okay?” He asks, truly concerned.

Chuck shrugs, smashing his face into his hands. “Embarrassed.” He answers honestly.

Raleigh looks out his window into the darkness, knowing the answer. He asks anyway, wanting to hear it for himself. “About what?”

Chuck shakes his head, straightening up. His head is starting to pound along with his heartbeat, making everything painful. The wooziness is disappearing and he can finally see straight. He still has that quality of forgetting something that happened a few moments ago socialized with a buzz. “Sorry for bailing on your one-night stand.”

Raleigh clears his throat. “I didn’t… when I said that stuff I said it because I thought that’s what you would want to hear. And you’re only twenty-one. If I’d known you were so young I wouldn’t have even made a move.”

“I wasn’t ready. I’m sorry.” Chuck answers. Raleigh pauses not sure what to say. Instead, Chuck speaks back up. “I’m ready now, though.”

Raleigh can feel a shiver run through his spine and blood rushes south. With a deep breath, he shakes his head. “No, I shouldn’t do that.”

Chuck wants to be daring, move his hand over to Raleigh’s lap, palm him through his jeans but he knows he can’t. He doesn’t have enough balls to do something like that. Chuck isn’t the daring person in the romantic movie and he sure as hell isn’t in one. He keeps his hands to himself and sits quiet in his embarrassment.

They reach his apartment a few minutes later. He opens the door and all but pushes himself out onto the sidewalk. His throat burns in the back from the copious amounts of alcohol so he takes a deep breath.

“Thanks.” He mutters, making his way up to the doorway. He grabs his keys and wiggles out the correct one. He puts all his focus on slipping the lock on the doorway that he doesn’t hear the car door shut behind him.

Raleigh’s rushing up the sidewalk, a desperateness to him that wasn’t there before. He reaches out, grabbing Chuck by the waist and spins him towards him. He doesn’t waste any time building up any more courage. He pushes his lips to Chuck’s with a chasteness that wasn’t there when they were together at first. He can feel Chuck’s hands lift to his hair, twisting in his locks delicately like they had before.

He can taste the bitter alcohol on Chuck’s tongue but doesn’t care. He pulls back though, wishing he could continue on. Raleigh wants to keep the innocence of the kiss. “Chuck, I’ll call you, okay?”

Chuck looks shocked, eyes wide and mouth still hanging open. He seems to realize this and snaps his mouth shut. He only nods, watching as Raleigh makes his way back to his car. The man drives off smoothly, not sparing a second glance in Chuck’s direction.

-

Chuck wakes up the next morning in bed, head buried far in a pillow. Groaning, he tries to move but his head pounds to his heartbeat in protest. He turns on his side, facing his doorway. He spots his phone and grabs it. He’s got a message from Tendo.

_Got home safe, sweetie? Hope you’re feeling well! You drank a fuck load. I’m proud of you. –Tendawg._

Chuck rolls his eyes, typing back.

_I feel like shit, mate. I’m home but I don’t know how I got here. –Chuck the Normal One_

Chuck sits back, laying a hand over his eyes as he waits for the next message. Moments later, his phone is buzzing.

_The one of many hangovers. You sure you don’t remember? Think hard. –Tendo the Cool One_

Chuck closes his eyes, trying to recount all of the events of the night before. He can remember up until everyone leaving but from there it’s fuzzy. He starts to remember two blonde’s coming to the party late but he just can’t put a name or face to them.

_Blonde. That’s all I remember. Care to explain? –Chuckeroo_

_Think hard, babe. Let me know what you come up with. –Tenderoo_

_Come up with your own signatures, loser. What’s up with these pet names? Hermann was doing it last night too. –Chuckdawg_

_You’re just too adorable not to have one. Buttercup, sweetiepie, honey bun, pumpkin, darling. –Tofu_

Chuck laughs at Tendo’s newest signature, setting his phone down. He gets up from bed, searching the house for some pain relievers as he thinks harder about the night before. Two blondes and he’s pretty sure they’re male. He stumbles to the bathroom, the thought still in his head as he brushes his teeth. Then it hits him head on like a freight train.

Raleigh had arrived at the party, the family emergency fixed. He’d argued with Chuck a little and there were some harsh words thrown around but Raleigh had definitely driven him home. In a panic, Chuck ran out of the bathroom and to his phone.

_Tendo, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me. Raleigh drove me home? –Hansen_

_GOAAAAAAAAAL. HE REMEMBERS. –Tofu_

_I hate tofu. –Tendo_

_Then who the fuck drove you home? Someone should have stopped that! I can’t go home with him like that. I’m supposed to be a badass, not a softie. –Hansen_

_Don’t worry. Most people are still afraid of you. After you busted out your Aussie vocab last night I was sure he was going to flee. –Tendo_

Chuck put his hand on his warm forehead, shaking his head. He rushed to the shower to get cleaned and then would be harassing Tendo at work.

-

Chuck runs a hand through his damp hair as he enters the martial arts studio. Tendo’s sitting at the front desk, the phone pressed to his ear. The second he sees Chuck he beams. He ends the phone call and greets his friend. “Hey, bud.”

“You busy, Ten?” Chuck asks, coming up to the desk to rest against it.

Tendo shakes his head, checking his watch. “Lunch break is coming up. I packed.” He reaches under his desk and brings up a brown paper bag. “Want to share?”

Chuck nods, his stomach rumbling at the idea of a fresh apple that Tendo no doubt has in there. He stands up from the desk and the two make their way to the inside of the studio. It’s completely empty since the last class just ended. They make their way to middle of the giant mat, lying down in the center.

Tendo sets the food on top of the bag with care, not wanting any of it to touch the sweaty mat. “So how was the ride with Raleigh?” He asks, biting into his peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Chuck rolls his eyes, taking a large bite out of a red, shining apple. “I can’t remember shit.” He mumbles as he chews.

Tendo pauses, picking at his sandwich. He avoid eye contact as he nibbles, causing Chuck to quirk an eyebrow. “How did you get home?”

Tendo sighs, having been trying to avoid that question. He was horrible when it came to avoiding things. “I was driven home by Yancy, Raleigh’s brother.”

Chuck’s eyebrows shoot up, interested. “Oh, really now? How did that go?”

Tendo’s face turns a serious shade of red and Chuck understand immediately. He lets out a loud, bellowing laugh, falling back against the mat. “Holy shit, that’s awesome.” He says through his laughter.

Tendo hits the man’s knee, trying to get him to sit up straight. Chuck complies, looking into Tendo’s warm eyes. “We didn’t do that, sick-o. Okay, so I blew him, but that doesn’t matter!” Tendo tries to dignify himself but Chuck only laughs harder and harder. “Stop laughing, asshole.”

Chuck straightens his face, pursing his lips for Tendo to continue on. He nods, ready for him to continue.

“What about you? Raleigh finally pop your cherry?” Tendo’s smirking evilly as he bites into his sandwich, winking demonically at Chuck.

Chuck scowls, taking a bite from the apple. “Wouldn’t matter if he did. I can’t remember shit.”

“Oh, you’d remember this, trust me. Your ass will hurt for a long time.” Tendo leans forward, about to eat more when they both hear a door open. They turn towards the entrance, seeing Herc come in, followed by Stacker. The two seem oblivious that the two of them are in the other room. Silently, they watch.

Stacker laughs at something Herc says. They stand there for a moment, both chuckling and adding a few jokes when Herc gets closer. Chuck tilts his head to the side, watching as his father plants a big kiss on Stacker’s lips. The kiss doesn’t stop there. Stacker’s hand rises, grabbing at the back of Herc’s head, pushing him closer. Herc’s smiling into the kiss, backing Stacker up to the front desk. He lifts the man onto the surface, slipping in between his legs.

“Holy shit.” Chuck says, not able to stop himself.

Both of the men stop, turning towards Tendo and Chuck. They all look at each other dumbfounded for a second before Chuck puts his hands up. “Please, continue on. Tendo and I were just leaving.”

Tendo’s about to object but Chuck gives him a pointed look. The two men rush out of the building and to Chuck’s car. Before Chuck leaves, he pats his dad on the shoulder, still in between Stacker’s legs. The men were literally frozen in place.

Chuck unlocks his car as he rushes over, each of them throwing themselves in the vehicle. Once their doors are shut, they let out a heavy breathe.

“I think I’m going to need soap to wash that out.” Tendo says, lunch out in front of him.

Chuck nods, staring in space. “Yeah, definitely scarred. Well, you can throw that lunch away or save it for later. I’m calling Newt and Hermann to tell them about this shit. We’re going out for lunch.”

Tendo shrugs, setting the bag and its contents on the ground.

-

It’s late afternoon when everyone finally makes it to the restaurant. Newt and Hermann sit across from them, digging into their foods.

“You seriously saw Stacker taking it from Herc? Never imagined it that way.” Newt says.

Chuck rolls his eyes. “Maybe you’re the one that gives it to Hermann but that doesn’t mean much. The big thing here is that I just caught my dad making out with his boss.”

“I just caught my boss making out with my best friend’s dad” Tendo repeats, shaking his head. “On my desk no less. I mean, I haven’t even had kinky sex there… but they have. Gross, I’m grossed out.” Tendo grimaces to himself.

There’s suddenly a pat on Chuck’s back so he glances up, expecting the waitress but gets Raleigh instead. He glances over to Tendo but sees that he too is occupied by a blonde. “What the shit…” Chuck trails off, thoroughly confused by their entrance. Next to Raleigh is Mako so he smiles at the girl warmly. “Hello…” He tries again.

They all take a seat on the free sides of the table. Awkwardly, Tendo and Chuck continue on eating. Chuck’s almost done with his food so he decides to glance at his watch. Much to his relief, he has another reason to bail. “Ten, you’re due back at work.”

Tendo’s eyes grow wide as he takes a large bite of his noodles. He’s got a mouthful, some hanging out and onto his chin as he collects his jacket. Chuck throws down money as they rush out. They both smile and nod as they rush out of the restaurant.

“They’ll stop running one day.” Hermann says and then shrugs to himself. “Maybe.”

-

Chuck and Tendo run into the office just in time. Herc and Stacker are both in the main room, a crowd of kids in front of them. Stacker’s pacing back and forth, trying to look serious as Herc goes over a new move. Chuck tries not to notice as Stacker’s eyes stray on his father’s ass. Sighing, he watches Tendo make himself comfortable at his desk.

“I still can’t believe my dad is boning Stacker.” Chuck snickers, glancing back to the class. As if Stacker could hear him, their eyes meet and he’s being beckoned further. He sighs exasperatedly but moves forward, standing at Stacker’s side.

“Everyone, this is Chuck. Everyone assigned the letter three will go with him. Okay, now break.” Herc announces, clapping his hands. There’s a line made in front of each of the three and Chuck is glad to say that he thinks he got all the quiet kids.

He moves to his side of the room and sits down, stretching his legs out in front of him. “All right, kids. You ready to kick some butt?”

The kids, instead of hollering like most, all nod shortly. Chuck grins. He was definitely right about getting the quiet ones.

-

The class is finally over. Herc had bailed pretty quickly, Stacker in tow. The boys got a wave goodbye and a yell over the shoulder to remind them to lock up. Tendo waves goodbye, shock still written on his face.

“I can’t believe it. Fucking Stacker got a boyfriend before me. I just can’t fucking believe it.” Tendo says, shaking his head in disbelief. He sits at his desk, trying his best to shuffle the stray papers together. There’s a pile for everything so he slides the free papers into what appears to be junk. With a sigh, he rests his elbows on the surface, eyes glued to the door.

Chuck agrees with his friend as he towels his sweaty hair. He then removes his gray tank top, the material soaked around the collar. He grimaces at the shirt and chucks it into a room that appears to be a laundry room. He takes the towel and rubs it across his bare chest, collecting a drip that slides across his torso. “Fuck, I knew I was doomed before but seeing those two makes me feel like I’m going to be alone forever.”

Tendo leans back in his chair, placing his feet up on the desk and crossing his arms behind his head. He traces patterns on the ceiling, ignoring the fact that Chuck was sliding off his gym shorts. He stood in the center of the room in nothing but his boxers and a leather necklace around his neck. In the middle of his chest was the object that hung from the string. Tendo wanted to ask his friend why the necklace was so important to him but he never could think of a right time.

“Maybe I should just admit it.” Tendo speaks, letting his eyes flutter shut. His muscles start to relax and his hands go limp. He moves them from behind his head to in front of him to rest on his stomach. He sure as hell is as toned as Chuck but he can feel the muscle tense underneath his skin.

“Admit what?” Chuck questions, sounding distracted as he pads his way into the laundry room.

“Ain’t nothing in there for you, Chuck. I took all extra clothes to my place, since they were my clothes. The only clothes you’ll find in there are the uniforms for tournaments.” Tendo calls after him. He hears a groan and the washing machine starts up. Soon, he can hear Chuck’s soft footsteps enter the room again so he continues. “I need to admit the fact that I’ll never find the right guy. I’m screwed. Just stuck with all the assholes.”

Chuck puts his hands up in defeat even though Tendo isn’t looking at him. “Hell, you know my story with the Becket boy. You’ve barely told me yours. I think I deserve to know what the fuck happened with you and that Yancy.”

Tendo chuckles, sitting up right in his chair. He scans Chuck’s body, nodding in approval. “You’re looking fine… for an Aussie.”

Chuck lifts his hand lazily, flashing him his middle finger before spreading a blanket out on the ground. He’s oddly got a small pillow but Tendo knows it’s there for emergency lock ins. The red head wraps himself in the blanket, making himself comfortable. “Stop trying to avoid the question, Choi.”

“Was it a question though? Was it really?” Tendo asks, sitting back in his chair as he amuses himself. He lets seconds pass but Chuck doesn’t bother with anymore snide comments. He waits for Tendo to continue so the man does reluctantly. “I went on a few dates with him and everything was going really good. He was great, the sex was great… everything was great.”

“So what happened?” Chuck inquires, rolling on his side to face the brunette.

Tendo chuckles at how young the redhead looks. He shrugs, the sudden urge to smoke a cigarette overpowering him. “I don’t know… I stopped calling him. I sort of locked myself away.”

Chuck lets out a shallow gasp, not believing what he’s hearing. “At least we know one of the Becket’s are respectable. Tendo, why’d you let something so good go?”

Shrugging, Tendo lets his head fall back. “I was worried. I didn’t want to fall in love but I sure as fuck did.”

Chuck lets out a small yawn, the time becoming obvious. It was nearing nighttime, the sun outside had fallen and the sky was finally an ominous blue. “You deserve a good boyfriend, y’know. You should fix it.”

Tendo finds himself shrugging again, a dangerous smirk on his face. “I don’t know if I can but when Yancy had taken me home and we fucked.”

Chuck snorts, his hands coming up to cover his ears. “Ew, ew, ew. Stop it!” He pleads teasingly.

“Let’s not forget when we were drunk the other night you went full fucking Aussie and totally cussed Raleigh out. If that isn’t sexual tension I don’t know what-” Tendo’s words stop and a loud screech follows. Chuck jumps up from where he’s lying, his eyes landing on Tendo. Behind him stands a blonde, smirking playfully with his hands on Tendo’s shoulders.

“Fucking hell!” Chuck calls out, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves.

Yancy’s standing over Tendo, launching his face over top of Tendo’s. It’s an awkward way to kiss, upside down like that but Chuck can’t help but think it’s romantic. He smiles to himself but his eyes graze to the side, landing on Raleigh. He rolls his eyes, pulling the blanket up over himself.

“Becket’s…” Chuck mumbles out as if it’s a curse, shaking his head.

Raleigh winks, waggling his eyebrows invitingly. “You look positively delicious, Chuck.”

Chuck’s lip curls up and he lets go a growl. “Please, spare yourself.”

“I mean it!” Raleigh says desperately. He steps forward, kneeling down next to the redhead. He reaches out, hand landing on the man’s cheek comfortingly. “Look, I know you’re bitter about what happened between us but-”

Chuck’s hand sneaks out, landing on top of Raleigh’s mouth. He gives the blonde a very warning look. “Not sure if we should be talking about this here.”

Raleigh rolls his eyes, hand coming up to encompass Chuck’s warm wrist. He peels the hand away from his lips, pressing it back down at Chuck’s waist. “You’ve told Tendo and Yancy’s my brother. He can basically read my mind.” Daringly, Raleigh leans forward, appearing as if he’s going to press his lips to Chuck’s. Instead, he slides past and presses his lips to his ears. “Let me talk to you. Yancy and Tendo have some making up to do, if you know what I mean…”

Chuck glances out of the corner of his eye, seeing that Yancy and Tendo were in a much more compromising position than before. With reluctance, he nods but motions to his nakedness. “I don’t have clothes.”

Raleigh bites his lip, giving Chuck a once over before shrugging. “We can go to my house and you can wear some of mine if you wouldn’t mind.”

-

Raleigh unlocks the door, stepping into his home proudly. His eyes glimpse over to the couch, trying to be subtle as he thinks back to when he and Chuck had been rutting on the furniture like animals. He snickers to himself, heading into his room and coming back with clothes. “You can wear these. I’m sure they’ll fit since they’re kind of small.” He throws the clothes in Chuck’s direction, getting them to land directly in his face.

Growling, Chuck slips the gym shorts on. “I’m barely an inch shorter than you, Becket.”

Raleigh shrugs, crossing his arms as he watches the boy dress. He’ll admit he’d rather see him undress but this’ll definitely work. “Still shorter than me, sweetie. What do you want for dinner?”

Chuck checks his watch, making a face. “Dinner? Definitely seems time for dessert.”

Raleigh waggles his eyebrows turning back to the redhead excitedly. “Are you coming onto me?”

Chuck laughs low and evilly. “No, I meant dessert. Way past time for dinner.”

Raleigh scoffs, throwing a hand in Chuck’s direction. “Who actually eats on time? I’m starving. Do you want anything?”

Chuck shakes his head no as he lets the sweatshirt slide down his torso. Raleigh was right, it fit him and there was definitely extra space. He’d rather Raleigh not see that the clothes actually were larger but he’d know the man would pick it out quickly. He follows the blonde into the kitchen, watching as he fixes himself a bowl of cereal. “This is your dinner? You’ve definitely got your foods and eating times messed up.”

Raleigh takes a large spoonful of the cereal, chewing thoughtfully before responding. “Breakfast for dessert. Stop complaining, Hansen.”’

Chuck only shrugs, checking his watch again. “Thanks for the clothes but I should be getting home now.”

“Oh, no. I’ve still got to talk to you. I’m sure you can spare me a few minutes.” Raleigh responds, finishing of his food. He brushes his hands off and looks Chuck directly in the face, looking conflicted. “I want to say I’m sorry about the other day. I’m not like that but I was feeling… y’know…”

Chuck shakes his head, watching Raleigh squirm under his gaze. It’s clear he’s not good with apologies so Chuck will take in this moment for his personal enjoyment. “No, I don’t.”

“I’ve never done a one night stand before and asking that of you was selfish. I didn’t really think about anything, just assumed that’s what you were in it for. I don’t even know what I’m talking about anymore, I just want to-” Raleigh launches forward, pressing his lips to Chuck’s. Much to his surprise, Chuck’s lips are soft and warm, inviting him in further. He pulls back, apology written all over his face. “I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, yeah. Me too.” Chuck mumbles rushing in for another kiss. He slips his hands underneath Raleigh’s shirt, lying flat against his toned stomach. “Can we just start where we left off?”

Raleigh snickers at that, lifting Chuck up to sit on his island. He parts the redhead’s legs, settling in between them. “I’ve got one question to ask before we continue.” There’s a small groan from Chuck that gains an even bigger smile from Raleigh. “Would you like to keep seeing me, Chuck Hansen?”

Chuck looks at him under heavy lidded eyes, mouth hanging open in want. He can feel every cell within his body tingle, wanting to bring Raleigh closer and closer. It’s as if every part of him is in love with Raleigh and he just can’t come to terms with it. He closes his mouth, swallowing around a lump in his throat. He nods, having no words to say in such a heated moment. He presses a kiss to Raleigh’s cheek to show how he wants that so much.

Raleigh hides his face in Chuck’s neck, biting down teasingly. “Good. I want that too.”


End file.
